Decisions
by HaleyHolmes88
Summary: Tony Stark never made decisions lightly in his life but one day in early April he made 4 decisions that would change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was early April when Tony Stark decided he wanted a vacation this year, his first in over 7 years. He had decided he would use his yacht _The Iron Maiden _it had been sitting for over 6 months unused, he had also decided he would take his hard working PA Pepper Potts with him she deserved a break as much as him, he might even say she needed it more than him, God knows she done way more than was in her job description. He also made the decision that he would not take his Suit with him he wanted a total break from everything. Little did Stark know that these decisions would change his life.

He informed Pepper of these plans he had made and very 'un-Pepperlike' accepted without hesitation or the 'you have a company to run we can't both just disapear' speech, it shows you how much they both need the time off. The 2 week vacation was organised for the beginning of June, Tony had spoken with Rhodey and Happy and asked them to pop into the company to just have a quick look over things every few days. Rhodey told him he would do his best and Happy just smile and agreed also he was looking forward to having 2 weeks in the luxury of The Stark Mansion, Tony trusted his driver/bodyguard with his house and he needed someone to keep an eye on Dummy and Butterfingers who know what kind of mischief those 2 would get upto without someone in there.

Between the months of April and June Tony and Pepper had worked extra hard to give 'the people at the top' so to speak a.k.a. when he was on vacation they would be _him, _an easier ride as little to deal with as possible.  
Also going shopping, this wasn't high on Tony's to do list but his PA was only to willing to go shopping for them both. So everything was organised Tony had a few missions to go on but nothing too heavy, he had also had the conversation with Fury stating he would not be contactable the first 2 weeks of June. He had tried to argue but Tony wasn't listening.

June had arrived and Rhodey and Happy were there to wave them off from the airport they had to fly to LA to get the yacht since it had been a while since Tony had used it. Upon arrival they discovered that they would need to get a cleaning crew Tony forgot to mention his last visit to the yacht had been a party. Pepper used to this kind of thing just laughed it off and had told Tony to deal with it himself she was on vacation to which Tony was not to happy hearing but decided it was for the best not to argue with the red head PA he knew it never turned out well in the end.

A few hours later they were ready to go _The Iron Maiden _has been cleaned and re-stocked and it was time to set sail. They headed out towards the open sea without any hesitation, only then did Pepper and Tony wish they had checked the weather report before leaving the harbour.

After a few hours (5 hours) of heading out at high speed did Tony noticed that the sky was getting darker, the weather had taken a drastic turn, Tony checked the weather report he requested from the computer and noticed there was a storm headed right towards them. Tony not wanting to panic Pepper made a slight change in heading but because of the speed they were too late they were going to have to sit it out.

_The Iron Maiden_ was getting battered from wind and rain and there seemed to be no let up Pepper had anchored herself next to Tony there was nothing either of them could do, the boat was swaying and turning Pepper was green but this was not the only thing she was worried about, Tony made to look out the side window of the boat and a wave hit them and next thing they were sitting on the roof, it was time to get out.

Tony made a grab for the life raft thankful it was still there, Tony grabbed Pepper's hand and made there way to the front of _The Iron Maiden_ through the window, both pulled there life jacket cords and managed to get about water just onto Ton activated the life raft and help Pepper climb in first the Tony got in behind her and they had to sit through the remainder of the storm.

A few hours later the storm had finally passed Tony looked out and noticed there was no sign of _The Iron Maiden _or land for that matter they were stranded at sea waiting for a passing ship was now there best bet or land of any kind. Pepper was thankful the storm had passed but was now in sheer panic at the thought of literally floating around at sea just hoping someone would pass, she had seen enough reports if you were on an independent 'cruise' the likely hood of anyone coming across you were so little she had given up, yes after a whole 3 hours floating around she had decided the likelihood of her seeing land again was so slight she might as well accept her fate.

Tony on the other hand had decided that they would not be 'missing at sea' he would try and do his best for Pepper she was his best friend and he needed to make this right for her.

**A/N: I know this seems a bit of a random chapter but this is basically to keep myself on track and let you know the set up of the story and the next chapters start from their POVs.**

**Thank you for reading I welcome reviews all kinds but please if you are gonna shoot me down in flames please be nice about it :) thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Ironman or Tony Stark if I did I would be doing better things with my time that writing fantasy situations with him :) **

Pepper POV

I awoke with a feeling of dread in my stomach, hoping that the night before was all a dream. As I sat up I realized that it indeed was not a dream.  
I look around down and saw Tony still sleeping, I carefully removed his hand from my life jacket and looked through the opening and could see nothing but water all around. I gently nudged Tony awake "Tony?" she called, Tony sat bolt upright and looked around dazed and confused trying to figure out where he was, you could see with the sag of his shoulders that he immediately remembered the previous evenings events.

He turned to Pepper and grabbed her hand, "Pepper, I am so sorry this wasn't meant to happen, I should have checked the weather report-" He was cut off by Pepper "Tony it was both our faults don't blame yourself, I should have thought to check the report too." Her answer was silence he knows better than to argue she thought.

"Tony...We need to try and get help I don't have my phone, you don't have JARVIS what are we gonna do?" She asked Tony.  
"Well as you said we have none of the things that would help, I _knew_ I should have brought the suit-" He was cut off by Pepper "_What _use would it be to us anyway? We have drifted away from _The Iron Maiden _which to be honest is probably still upside down wherever we had to 'abandon ship' your suit would have still been there, I'm _sure_ it isn't that advanced to have a tracking device and drag itself out from a capsized vessel" Pepper was getting antsy now they had been drifting for God knows how long, with no food or contact with anyone, panic was starting to set in. She tried to hide it from Tony "Pepper?" she heard Tony ask

"Pep...calm down breathe, its fine we will be found it's a big ocean there is bound to be a ship out here somewhere" She could tell he didn't believe his own thoughts, he was doing this to keep her calm.

She decided it was the best to just sit tight and hope Tony was right, there's bound to be someone out there somewhere.

What felt like hours later Tony started to open the 'door' of the raft, "Pepper we're gonna have to try and paddle towards something" "_Do you know where we are?"_ Pepper asked back angrily "We have no heading" She looked at Tony, he started laughing manically "Why are you laughing, we are lost at sea, just _hoping_ a ship will pass-" She was cut off by Tony's hysterical laughter "Sorry Potts... it's just you sound like something from _Pirates of The Caribbean _'We have no heading' sorry but I can't help it"

Pepper looked at him and couldn't help herself she started laughing too, it was the best feeling she had, had since she left yesterday? morning.

"Tony please be rational we do need to head somewhere though, just hoping won't do us any good." Pepper was trying to keep calm but it wasn't working. She decided the best thing to do would be to try and rest and then see what was happening when she awoke.

A few hours or minutes later she couldn't decide, she felt Tony shake her awake, "Potts, look!" Pepper sat up and looked in the direction Tony was pointing, on the horizon she saw what she thought was a small speck, but in reality she knew it would either be a ship or land of some sort if he could see it too.

"Paddle Tony we should start towards it, if we both do it we'll get in there quicker" Tony hung over the edge with Pepper and started paddling towards _hope?_

As they were getting nearer the noticed that the speck was getting bigger and was indeed land not a ship as it was stationery. "Pep we're saved!" Tony called Pepper immediately felt her mood lift even though it was only land they didn't know if there was anyone there or if it was just an island. "Tony just paddle! We're almost there"

As the neared the beach she noticed it was a small island there couldn't be anyone here it was just too small.

As she felt the sand between her toes she immediately relaxed, it was a welcome feeling. "Pepper I'm going to explore, I need to see if there is a fresh water supply here and anything to sustain life" He was trying to be funny to lighten the mood and she couldn't help but laugh, the feeling was amazing compared to the night before.

Looking around she had noticed that Tony had brought the raft up to the edge of the 'forest' presuming this was to be the only shelter they had. "Pepper come here quick!" She jumped to her feet and followed Tony's voice, as she drew nearer she could hear water falling, "Pepper hurry this is amazing" she rounded the next few trees and found Tony lounging by a waterfall with a large pool "Tony this is fantastic" she said with awe in her voice, "Only you could find an island with a waterfall, wild life _and _fruit" Tony turned to her, "Exactly Potts I am the luckiest man alive" she thought she heard him mumble something under his voice but at this moment in time she couldn't care less, feeling care free she made a run for the pool and jumped in.

The feeling was so exhilarating she instantly felt clean, then the thought that next struck was, what would happen now they had food and water, what would happen now they were going to have to _live_ together in close proximity for God knows how long.

**A/N Next chapter we head over to Tony's POV but I will not go over this again I will move forward and go from here with his side of things. Again leave reviews I accept all don't really want flames unless they are constructive criticism. Thank you :) **


	3. Chapter 3

Tony POV

I was watching Pepper in the pool and the first thought I had was so unexpected, I'm lucky to have her here with me. This I found strange out of all the thoughts I could have had regarding the situation I was happy I was with her.

"Tony come in the water is lovely" I heard her call, I looked over and there she was swimming around looking so relaxed which I found surprising because of the situation we were in but among other things, she looked absolutely beautiful.

"Be right over" I answered her, I had only been with her for I think 2 days, and I know I flirt outragiously with her but I do actually have genuine feelings for Miss Potts, this trip was going to be the ice breaker just me and her alone or 2 weeks of sailing unfortunately Mother Nature decided that would have been too easy.

A few hours later..

"Pepper we need to gather some food to keep by the 'shelter' (referring to the life raft they had), do you wanna come help me?" Tony asked to try and bring her out of her reverie and also to get her out of the sun, we had only been here a short while and she was turning a fetching shade of pink because of the lck of sunscreen. "Be right there. God it's so warm Tony I am going to be like a lobster the longer we are here, you won't recognise me soon, why do I have to have red hair?"

Tony looked over at Pepper "The joys Miss Potts, now come and help me stock up, we may only have just arrived but we will need some things to keep us going"  
Pepper got up from the sand with her skirt and tank top sticking to her, surely he though to himself, she would be more comfortable just in her underwear, and I am not just saying that for my benefit he thought with a slight smirk.  
"Something to say Stark?" Pepper asked "Not at all Potts" Tony winked at her an pulled her through the brush of the forest towards the waterfall.

"Pep... I'm gonna go up here and gather some of the fruit catch what I throw down" Tony told her.

**Pepper POV**

**(Sorry prefer writing this from her POV with the way the story is going to go in my head I think I will keep it her POV from here)**

I watched him climb the trees to get us fruit, and I couldn't help but feel like a damsel in distress, the man collecting the provisions for the woman he lives with. Although they had only been here a short time she had seen a total different side to him, she knew his funny side _and_ his flirtatious side she knew the latter better. But there was something about him in this enviorment that made her go weak at the knees, she felt like one of his little 'groupies'.

Snap out of it Pepper it's only because of the situation that you are thinking like this, she thought to herself.  
But it couln't be helped it was just so manly, she smiled up at Tony as he threw done the fruit he was picking.

"Tony becareful!" She shouted he was throwing things haphazardly now just wanting to get the job done, what was I thinking earlier? Oh yeah think that ship has sailed.

"Sorry Potts, right" he said and he landed on his feet at the base of the tree "Time to go back, we want to get there before night. Anything else we need?" He asked her.

"No think we are good" She replied with arms full o fruit looking at Tony as he collected some more that she couldn't manage.

They were sitting on the beach watching the sunset when out of the blue Tony grabbed her hand, Pepper turned to him and the look in his eyes floored her, he was so lost looking but there was something else behind it. She has seen a lot of emotions go through her employer/friends eyes before usually flirty/lustful but there was something else there only for a second but she seen it.

"Pepper I hope you know that I am really sorry this happened to us-" she interupted "Tony look we have gone through this it was both of our faults let's just drop it we can't go throught this whole difficult time blaming ourselves, let's just _forget_"

Tony just smiled and gave a small nod, he let go of her hand and looked over the horizon "Where do you think we would have been by now if we had managed to complete our 'cruise'?" he asked quietly

"I don't know Tony all I know is it would have been a lot nicer sleeping on your yacht than in a life raft on a beach" Pepper replied laced with humour, trying to lighten the mood.

Pepper yawned it had been a long day and the thought of sleep was now welcome until she remembered she was sleeping in a plastic raft but it was better than sleeping on the sand. She looked over at Tony who was walking along the waters edge, she approached him.

"I'm going to turn in Tony good night"

"Good night Pep and thank you for making this situation barable" he said as he pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on the cheek.

Pepper flushed, usually when Tony done this there was an ulterior motive but tonight she knew he was jut seeking comfort.

Tony coughed "I..I'll let you go ahead first and get comfortable then I'll be over in a minute" he said looking down.

Is he embarrassed? She thought to herself.

"Ok Tony good night" she replied and made her way over to the raft.

Now she thought how do we do the sleeping arrangements, I know we will be in close proximity but I really don't want to sleep with these clothes on, the more she thought about it there was no other option 'just like a two piece' she kept telling herself.  
As she made her way back towards the beach in her underwear trying to ignore Tony's stare to rinse out her clothing, knowing she would need these sort of freshened up for the morning.

"Pepper what are you doing?" She noticed that when she turned towards him he turned away to give her privacy. "Tony I can't sleep in this I need these for the morning, any way it's just a bikini, well that's what I keep telling myself" she told him truthfully.

"And.. I am not niave enough to believe that you will be sleeping with your jeans and wife beater." Pepper replied motioning at Tony's clothing.

"Uh... yeah I suppose that is correct Miss Potts, well I am gonna do the same then 'hit the raft'" he giggled at his joke. Pepper just smiled and made her way towards 'bed'

**The Next Morning**

Pepper woke up to the sounds of the birds and with a weight on her mid-rift. She looked down to see Tony's arms around her waist, she shifted slightly and felt something poking into her hip. She immediately flushed and trying to get out of his grip without wakening him up to save them both embarassment. "Pep what are you doing" Tony lifted his head to see his arms around her and that his friend was happy this morning "Oh God Pepper I am so sorry I... I ..." Tony at a loss for words.

Pepper couldn't help it she burst into hysterical laughter at the look on his face, if it had been any other day or situation she would have been furious but the fact was, she was sharing the space of a twin bed with him what did she expect?

"Tony it's fine really just let me move and I will get out of the way" She couldn't stop her laughing.

"Potts it's not funny!" Tony shouted at her like a child. "Tony at least you are fully clothed" although in her mind she couldn't help but think, why do I have the feeling of disapointment at this statement? This confused her and she stood to leave the raft.

It was she presumed roughly around mid morning when Tony surfaced claiming he fell asleep again, she wasn't convinced.

"Pepper I'm going to look through the 'forest' to see if I can find something to fish with we can't live off bananas and mangos for God knows how long" Pepper just smiled and gave him a small nod her plan for today was to try and do something with the raft to make it more 'accomodating' space wise to try and not have another surprising morning like this one.

She had managed to remove the 'roof' from the raft and attach it to 2 smaller trees to make a sort of canopy for them to sleep under now all she would have to do is to try and find some foliage to make a sort f matress as the trees weren't on the sand.

She looked up and found Tony standing in the waves with a stick or spear in his hand looking like he knew what he was doing, she was giggling softly to herself when Tony ran towards her with a fish on the end of his 'spear'.

"Look Potts fish for dinner!" he beamed with pride at managing this and she couldn't help but be proud of him too again she felt weak at the knees 'providing for my woman' kept going through her head although she knew she wasn't his woman, it doesn't hurt to dream.

So that night at sunset Tony managed to light a fire to cook the fish on and they had a meal of fish and mangos "Tony this is the most weird meal I have ever eaten but considering the setting it's not bad, well done Mr Stark."

Over the course of the next few hours the spoke about all kinds of things she spoke more about herself as she knew everything about this man, so she decided it was his turn to listen to her life stories. After going through her teenage years they were at the subject of her becoming employed at Stark Industries.

"I remember seeing you walk through the door and thinking 'wow I must hire her look at those legs' -"

"Tony you didn't hire me for my good grades and my excellent college degree?" Pepper asked half joking.

"Let me finish Potts. As I was saing your legs were fantastic but the more I got to know you and befriend you I knew you were the best decision I had made in a long time" he looked into her eyes again with that look.

Pepper leaned towards him she couldn't help it, he was warm as the night air was becoming nippier. He leaned over and put his arm around her shoulders. Don't read into it Pepper she thought he's just being friendly and looking out for you.

They spoke more about life in general and eventually she drifted of to sleep wrapped in Tony's arms.

She awoke with a start what seemed like minutes later, Tony was lifting her to the shelter, "Shh Pep it's OK go back to sleep" he said to her and wrapped her skirt around her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead and settled down next to her again but this time she remebers the feeling of Tony wrapping his arms around her waist whether in comfort for him or to keep her safe she couldn't decide but at this moment she couldn't care less. Pepper Potts was starting to like this side of Mr Stark and she knew that if his flirtatious tendancies started again she didn't think she would be so quick at shrugging them off, this was her last thought as she fell asleep for the second time that night in the arms of Tony Stark.

**A/N Sorry about all the changing about but I prefer to write from Peppers POV I am not great with grammar so sorry if there are anythings that you would do differently, so again thanks for reading and leave reviews :)**


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